USDA ARS Bee Biology & Systematics Laboratory, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322, USA.
Annu Rev Entomol. 2011;56:221-37. doi: 10.1146/annurev-ento-120709-144836.
The alfalfa leafcutting bee (ALCB), Megachile rotundata F. (Megachildae), was accidentally introduced into the United States by the 1940s. Nest management of this Eurasian nonsocial pollinator transformed the alfalfa seed industry in North America, tripling seed production. The most common ALCB management practice is the loose cell system, in which cocooned bees are removed from nesting cavities for cleaning and storage. Traits of ALCBs that favored their commercialization include gregarious nesting; use of leaves for lining nests; ready acceptance of affordable, mass-produced nesting materials; alfalfa pollination efficacy; and emergence synchrony with alfalfa bloom. The ALCB became a commercial success because much of its natural history was understood, targeted research was pursued, and producer ingenuity was encouraged. The ALCB presents a model system for commercializing other solitary bees and for advancing new testable hypotheses in diverse biological disciplines.
苜蓿叶象甲（ALCB），又称圆叶切叶蜂（Megachildae），于 20 世纪 40 年代由偶然因素引入美国。这种来自欧亚大陆的非社会性传粉媒介的巢管理方法改变了北美的紫花苜蓿种子产业，使种子产量增加了两倍。最常见的苜蓿叶象甲管理实践是松散细胞系统，在此系统中，将被茧包裹的蜜蜂从巢穴腔中取出进行清洁和储存。有利于其商业化的苜蓿叶象甲特征包括群居筑巢；用叶子作为巢的衬里；易于接受价格合理、大量生产的筑巢材料；苜蓿授粉功效；以及与紫花苜蓿开花同步出现。苜蓿叶象甲之所以取得商业成功，是因为其大部分自然历史都被人们所了解，针对性的研究也得到了开展，生产者的创造力也得到了鼓励。苜蓿叶象甲为其他独居蜜蜂的商业化和在不同生物学科中推进新的可测试假设提供了一个模型系统。
